Discovering farmers’ views of on-farm precision experimentation

Abstract

Precision agriculture technologies (PATs) have revolutionized agriculture production and provide many benefits to farmers. Among these benefits is the ability to conduct experiments using PATs and collaborate with researchers in a process known as on-farm precision experimentation (OFPE). OFPE is a citizen-science approach that fosters relationships and knowledge-sharing to address challenges of mutual interest. While the literature on precision agriculture is extensive, little research has addressed farmers’ willingness to conduct OFPE with researchers. Interviews with 11 Illinois farmers revealed high adoption rates of PATs. Interest in collaborating with researchers to conduct OFPE was mixed, with farmers identifying clear channels of communication as the most important factor in their decision to collaborate. While additional study is needed among the larger farming community, these initial insights may contribute to the larger effort to encourage greater collaboration between researchers and farmers to find real-world solutions to agronomic, economic, and environmental challenges.

Core Ideas

• Precision agriculture technologies (PATs) allow farmers to engage in on-farm precision experimentation (OFPE).
• OFPE fosters farmer and researcher collaboration to help address agronomic challenges.
• This study provides initial insight into farmers’ perceptions of and interest in OFPE.